A minimum of seven individuals have perished and a significant number are lost after a craft transporting around 200 migrants trying to get to the European continent capsized near the shoreline of The Gambia, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near the village of Jinack in the northern bank region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the Gambian military authorities said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people were pulled to safety and a rescue operation continues for those still missing who were aboard the sunken boat that was en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African asylum seekers trying to reach the EU.
Almost forty-seven thousand migrants reached the Canary Islands in last year and data indicates more than 9,000 people have died during the journey.
Ongoing Mission
In the aftermath of the disaster, Gambia's naval forces initiated a search-and-rescue operation, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that joined the effort, the defence ministry reported.
Officials state a number of those who died are not Gambian nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven victims who drowned have been retrieved, and ten of the survivors are reported to be in grave health and getting immediate medical attention.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by asylum seekers attempting to enter Europe, often on dangerous journeys by sea and land.
In recent years, the European Union has established pacts with a number of North African countries aimed at limiting undocumented migration.
